Speakers, exhibitors at free, U-T-sponsored event at Town & Country provide advice on how to successfully manage life’s later years

Courtney Romero (above left) performs a skin-tightening treatment on Muriel King, of Bay Terraces, in the Aesthetic Center of La Jolla booth at the U-T San Diego Successful Aging Expo at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center on Saturday. Left, Denise Hyland of La Mesa tries on a pair of wraparound sunglasses designed to cut down on glare.
Howard Lipin • U-T

Courtney Romero (above left) performs a skin-tightening treatment on Muriel King, of Bay Terraces, in the Aesthetic Center of La Jolla booth at the U-T San Diego Successful Aging Expo at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center on Saturday. Left, Denise Hyland of La Mesa tries on a pair of wraparound sunglasses designed to cut down on glare.
Howard Lipin • U-T

February 23, 2013-SAN DIEGO, CA| Denise Hyland of La Mesa tries on a pair of wraparound sunglasses designed to cut down on glare, at the San Diego Center for the Blind booth, during the U-T San Diego Successful Aging Expo, at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in Mission Valley. | Howard Lipin /UT San Diego). Mandatory to Credit HOWARD LIPIN/U-T San Diego/ZUMA PRESS, U-T San Diego

February 23, 2013-SAN DIEGO, CA| Denise Hyland of La Mesa tries on a pair of wraparound sunglasses designed to cut down on glare, at the San Diego Center for the Blind booth, during the U-T San Diego Successful Aging Expo, at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in Mission Valley. | Howard Lipin /UT San Diego). Mandatory to Credit HOWARD LIPIN/U-T San Diego/ZUMA PRESS, U-T San Diego

Mission Valley

Jim Hunyor came for the “Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll: Secrets of Living Longer, Healthier” seminar. His wife, Kathy, wanted to hear Ken Druck’s talk on the “Myth of Graceful Aging” and was lucky to get one of the last spots in the packed Town & Country ballroom.

The Clairemont couple wanted to attend the session on computers and assistive technology.

“We are computer literate, but we can always learn more,” said Kathy.

The Hunyors, both 64, were among the more than 5,000 baby boomers and beyond who attended the Successful Aging Expo on Saturday at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center in Mission Valley. Another 5,000-plus are expected to attend the free event today.

Sponsored by U-T San Diego and presented by Sycuan and Worldview Travel, the fourth annual expo features more than 90 exhibitors and 16 speakers each day. Under one roof, attendees can get information on everything from financial planning and living trusts to the science of aging and how to reap major savings on utilities and groceries.

“One of the constants is that we are all getting older,” said Mike Glickenhaus, U-T’s vice president of sales. “More and more people want to be able to prepare the best way they can for their future years, whether it’s financially, whether it’s fitness and health, or even knowing where they want to travel.

“The goal of the Successful Aging Expo is to be able in one place provide a lot of resources for them to start that process.”

For Rick Kneeshaw, 65, of Scripps Ranch, successful aging means anticipating his future needs. Rolling through the hotel’s Grand Hall in his motorized wheelchair, he stopped at several booths, filling his tote bag with literature on long-term care, ways to improve his home’s accessibility, and caregivers.

“I wanted to learn about assistive mobilities, specialized baths, and energy discounts from SDG&E,” said Kneeshaw, who contracted polio at age 3 and has been in a wheelchair since 1984. “It’s not what you need today, it’s what you need 10 years from now. It’s about what you can afford today.”

Ann Salas, 77, of Lakeside, wanted to find a way to stem her aches and pains. Stopping at The Perfect Workout booth, she listened intently as certified personal trainer Alice Doré explained the importance of strength training and the fact that people begin at age 25 to lose half a pound of lean muscle every year.

“I have to do something,” Salas said. “I do a lot of church work, and I have a lot of ‘Mom Dos’ that I need to keep up with.”

Throughout the day, expo attendees fortified themselves with free nibbles of chicken salad and split pea soup, German sausage and potato salad, fruit smoothies and sliders. Between the talks, there were raffles with prizes — everything from T-shirts and restaurant gift certificates to tickets to see a Broadway San Diego play or catch a little acrobatic action at Circus Vargas.

The expo was not without its celebrity — and groupies. Several people, mostly women, lined up to meet Richard Lederer, who pens the U-T column “Lederer on Language.”

“You’re the main reason I came today,” Wendy Palmer, 66, told the writer.

It was all the invitation Lederer needed.

“Do you know where the name ‘Wendy’ comes from?” he asked Palmer. “It is the affectionate clipping of the name ‘Gwendolyn.’ It first appeared in 1905 in ‘Peter Pan.’ ”